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Many people weren’t truthful about their COVID status, new study finds

Paul Murdoch

NEW YORK CITY - DECEMBER 23: People wait in line as city workers hand out take-home Covid-19 test kits in lower Manhattan on December 23, 2021 in New York City. New York City is handing out thousands of the kits, which include two tests per box, in order to lesson the surge of people and long lines at testing sites. New York City has once again seen COVID-19 case numbers rise as the new omicron variant has become the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73 percent of new cases. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

A nationwide survey, which was conducted at the peak of the Covid pandemic shows that 40% of Americans lied about their covid status and/or ignored many safety precautions.

The survey polled 1,700 people, and of those polled 721 respondents had either lied about their COVID status or didn’t follow CDC recommendations.

The most common reasons for the lack of transparency were that people wanted to feel normal or to exercise personal freedom.

The most common response for people either lying about the test or choosing not to follow guideless is that they wanted to go back to normal or they were exercising their right to freedom.

“COVID-19 safety measures can certainly be burdensome, but they work,” said co-author Andrea Gurmankin Levy, who is a professor of social sciences at Middlesex Community College in Connecticut.

“When people are dishonest about their COVID-19 status or what precautions they are taking, it can increase the spread of disease in their community,” Levy said in the release. “For some people, particularly before we had COVID vaccines, that can mean death.”

Another of the study’s Angela Fagerlin, who is head of population health sciences at University of Utah Health, said the survey has dredged up some concerns about people’s reluctance to report their health status and also their acceptable of prolonging the pandemic as opposed to wearing a mask, social distancing and other public health measures.

“Some individuals may think if they fib about their COVID-19 status once or twice, it’s not a big deal,” Fagerlin said in a news release. “But if, as our study suggests, nearly half of us are doing it, that’s a significant problem that contributes to prolonging the pandemic.”

A desire to return to normal was the most frequent response, however other responses included concerns about missing work, not feeling sick, doing their own research and also believing that their choices are no-one else’s business.

Alistair Thorpe, who is a postdoctoral researcher at University of Utah Health and also an author of this study, said that the results would be helpful in understanding people’s mindset should there be another wave.

“This study goes a long way toward showing us what concerns people have about the public health measures implemented in response to the pandemic and how likely they are to be honest in the face of a global crisis. Knowing that will help us better prepare for the next wave of worldwide illness,” Thorpe said.

ARTICLE: PAUL MURDOCH

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: CNN

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Paul Murdoch

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.
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